Death-defying stunts saw Dubai awestruck

A sand palace in front of the skyline ofJumeirah Beach, sold-out stands and a surprise victory were the ingredients fora superlative season-opener.

Dany Torres of Spain triumphed on Fridayevening in the opening round of the 2011 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour inDubai. A crowd of 15,000 fans witnessed the exciting freestyle motocross showdownon the beach.

The 23-year-old Torres of Spain pulled outall the stops in the final jump and beat co-favourite Andre Villa (NOR) toclaim the victory. It was Torres’ fifth victory in the history of the Red BullX-Fighters since its creation in 2001.

Defending champion Nate Adams (USA) wasunexpectedly knocked out in the semi-finals and had to settle for third place.

“The pressure was enormous and the level ofthe competition was really high. I’ll be back ready to fight in Brazil.” NewZealand’s Levi Sherwood, famous around the world for his tremendousflexibility, wasn’t able to finish any higher on his KTM 250SX than fifthplace, back behind Blake Williams.

The athletes on their motorbikes put on aspectacular show, with leaps of up to 15 meters high and a distance of 30meters that defied the laws of gravity.

The second stop of the World Series takesplace in Brasilia (May 28), Rome (June 24), Madrid (July 15), Warsaw (August 6)and Sydney (September 17).

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